Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-05
DAkorA NEWS.

Moody county farmers complain of
great scarcity of help.
The total assessed valuation of Hyd
county is $627,000.
-Watertowa's three story paint factor
lu!l,ling is completed.
The Methodists at DeSmet dedicated
church recently costing $4,000.
Travelling men will form stock com
pany and build q hotel at Al erdeen.
The plans for the new Catholic con
vent at Aberdeen are about completed.
The Northern Pacific depot at Wahpe.
ton was struck by lightning and burned.
The county agricultural society O
Beadle will be held at Huron September
81.
The Huron Congregationalists are
considering the ACCESSIBILITY of erecting
parsonage.
The session laws of the last legisla.
ture have at last been published and ar.
now on snle.
Tho treasurers quarterly statement
shows that Hutchinson County has $13,-
21O.25 to her credit.
The location of Congregational col
lege at Fargo is assured. A $4,000 build
ing will be erected.
The local option petitions are now
creating considerable excitement in several
counties of the territory.
The assessed valuation of Hutchinson
County is $4,000, O00-a little over $780,
900 higher than last year.
Phil S. Campbell, of Sioux Falls, has
been appointed by Delegate Clifford cadet
to West Point. No competitive examina-
ton was held, which fact is causing some
unfavorable comment.
The Dakota farmer reioices over the
magnificent prospects of splendid crop,
and not alone does he rejoice, since the
prosperity of the farmer is the basis of all
prosperity in the Northwest at least.
Dakota among the States and Terri
tories stands sixth in the number of BUSH
els of wheat produced. Only eleven States
raise more oats, sixteen have more schools,
fourteen more newspapers and but twelve
have more miles Of railroad.
The board of county commissioners in
creased the assessed valuation of Aber-
deems city property $50 per cent. OF from
SG77,220 to $1.6S6, $50. All other portions
OF Brown County were increased from 30
to 100 per cent. The total equalized valu-
alton of the county is S7.1G2, 1853.
While riding across the prairie about
ten miles southwest of Okoboio, on the
military reservation the other evening,
George Mose!y saw q man lying dead on
the prairie with a picket rope around his
body, and was yet attached to his pony,
which was plunging wildly about. An in
vestigation showed the victim to be Fred
krause, German in the employ of C. P.
Russell, as herder. 1t was first supposed
that he met his death by lightning, and so
reported, but it was afterward ascertained
that he had been dragged to death, plain
trail over the prairie showing where lie had
been drawn along. The point of starting,
where his hat and dinner pail were found,
showed heel marks as though he was at
tempting to hold the frightened animal,
but these marks were only for a short dis
lance when he had fall en-. The accident
evidently occurred before noon, as his
lunch was untouched, and the place the
pony stopped was eaten clean in circle
the length of the rope. AS the pony had
escaped from him several times, it is sup
posed that he tied the rope around his body
to secure 1t. The accident is similar to the
one which occurred in the same neighbor.
hood, just abouta year ago, by which Miss
Lizzie Yates lost her life.
The Huronite says that some time ago
a mound was reported as existing at the
junction of Timber creek and the Jim
river about ten miles east of Crandon.
Recently DR.. G. G. Huff and Rev. D. S.
McCuslin visited the spot for an investi-
cation. The mound was found as report
ed and three others besides in the same vi
cinity and belonging to the same group
and age. The first one opened was near
Timber creek, fiat oval mound, some
G0xS0 feet. The form of the mound indi-
Gates great age. 1t was originally much
higher, but has been fattened by the ac-
ton of wind and water. On the top of
the mound was n circle of split buffalo
bones, showing the relics Of many big
feast ly the Indians, probably Sioux. On
digging into the mound it was found to be
full Of human bones near the surface.
Indeed, every spadeful of earth brought
up quantities of these fragments. These
bones seem TO have been piled in pell-
NELL. At no place was an entire skeleton
together. Many bones of children were
noticed, the teeth and skull bones espec-
tally attracting attention. After passing
through these shallow intrusive graves
nothing more was found until depth of
five feet was reached, when relics of the
original builders of the mounds were met
with. But so great was the age of the de.
posits that in every case nearly every frag-
ment.of bone was dissolved. One fea-
ture of interest was necklace made of
twenty nine perforated teeth. The holes
were all neatly drilled. Some old hunter
had doubtless decorated himself with
these trophies of his prowess. 1t is evil
dent that these mounds are verv ancient.